A visit to the premier classic British motorcycle shop in northern Illiniois was also included in the agenda. Always a treat to look over the various items parked shoulder to shoulder in the main display area. The workshop was so busy that bikes awaiting service and restoration work were stood outside.
In 1913, 14 year old Louis Abernathy and his 10 year old brother Temple rode their motorcycle from Oklahoma to New York City.
Motorcycle racer, engineer and innovator Howard R Davies sits proudly on his sleek powerful 350cc machine. HRD went on to become Vincent and the rest is history.
– so said Henry Ford. We visited the Model T museum in Richmond Indiana today. A nice display of 30 examples of the original multi purpose vehicle. It was a runabout, speedster, truck, van, snowmobile, ambulance, fire truck, tow truck, touring car. These particular models, ranging from early 1907 models to the latter 20’s versions, were in marvelous condition.
– Antique bike; ceramics in tall display case; bronze cat; and Terry O’Neill photograph.
– individual bike exhibits were splendidly assembled each showing off the machines with posters, paraphernalia and provenance. A racing Norton; Knievel’s stunt bike; McQueens Traveller; Harley garage.
– on our road trip through Iowa we stopped in at this impressive collection of motorcycles. Here is a selection of engines spanning 7 decades. More to follow this week!
– triple beast from the Venetian province. 90hp giving a near 150mph performance which is plenty of Vitamin C from the citrus rocket.
Anyone for a game of footie?
By Toby Neal published June 2, 2020
“Top flight football is tiptoeing its way to a comeback as the nation eases its way out of the coronavirus restrictions. But if you want social distancing, at least by the length of the front forks, motorcycle footer has its health and safety attractions.
And another thing, Wolverhampton was rather good at it.
To get a flavour of what it was all about, let’s turn back the clock to April 1928, when the sport – then only around four years old – made its first appearance in the Newport district, with a motorcycle football match held at Lilleshall Hall between Wolverhampton and Coventry & Warwick.
Coventry & Warwick had never been beaten, and had won the Auto Cycle Union All England Cup for three years on the trot, as well as numerous other events.
Wolverhampton were rated as one of the most improved teams in the country, a young and skilful side who had been runners up in the ACU Cup in 1927.
Now, the rules.
“The game is played with six players a side, with only the goalkeeper and fullback keeping their positions. The remaining four players are intent on forcing the football through their opponents’ goal,” explained the Newport and Market Drayton Advertiser’s report of this crunch match.
“The skill with which the players control the ball while travelling at speed is truly remarkable. It is by no means a slow game. On the contrary, it is amazingly fast, and the skilled riders must at times have reached 40 miles an hour. The players not only used their feet, but also their heads when occasion demanded.”
In the first half Wolverhampton were the better team and deserved to go into the break 2-0 up. After the interval Coventry & Warwick pulled one back, and but for two fine saves by Barnard in the Wolverhampton goal would surely have gone in front.
Wolverhampton increased their lead, only for their opponents to pull one back a few minutes later.
The glorious final score: Wolverhampton 3, Coventry & Warwick 2. The invincible Coventry & Warwick had at last been toppled.
A few years ago we spoke to June Hussey of Wombourne, whose father Tommy Deadman helped pioneer the sport in Wolverhampton.
He founded Wolverhampton Motor Cycle Football Club – presumably the same side which played that match at Lilleshall – which played home games in Pinfold Lane, Penn.
The sport captured the public’s imagination, albeit for a fleeting time, and led to teams being set up across the country and the creation of a league.
With Tommy as captain, the Wolves team enjoyed a successful year in 1928, winning the Midland League Championship by beating Birmingham and competing in a nationwide competition equivalent to the FA Cup.
Wolves beat local rivals West Bromwich 10-1 in the first round and in the second round beat a team known as Douglas MC. Wolves got all the way to the final but lost to Coventry.
Born and bred in Wolverhampton, Tommy Deadman had already made quite a name for himself in the world of motorcycling, having taken part in the first ever dirt track racing at Wolverhampton’s Monmore Green Stadium in August 1928.
Motorcycle football was popular for a number of years but seems to have faded away around the time of the war, although the idea of playing football on a motorbike has popped up from time to time since.
– bright red Triumph in homage to Brando’s film from that era. Good form, clean details and a might fine looking machine to go tooling around on.
Johnny : “Nobody tells me what to do. You keep needlin’ me, if I want to, I’m gonna take this joint apart and you’re not gonna know what hit you”
Still smiles a hundred years ago
– Nostalgic photo of a lady and her motorcycle. Dressed in trench coat, cloth cap and goggles she’s ready to take to the roads.
– two horse versus 94 ponies. Nice old farm box wagon at a driveway in Northern Illinois. To think that people used to travel around the country on dirt roads with transportation such as this. Me? I’d rather have be on my Tiger over those rural lanes.
Near my garage where the bikes are kept is this old garage and loft. The old doors, siding and shingle are great time worn vintage features that are only seen along this Evanstonian alley.
We dusted off, gassed up, and rolled out the old Bonnie’s for a nice Saturday afternoon ride up north. Leaves are emerging as spring temperatures rise and the sun shines.
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